Mangal Bagh reported dead in Tirah clash

ISLAMABAD (PAN): Notorious militant commander, Mangal Bagh who led his own faction of the Lashkar-i-Islam group, has been killed in a clash in the Tirah valley of the lawless Khyber tribal region near the Afghan border, police said on Monday.

“The leader of the banned outfit is dead,” Peshawar police chief Akbar Hoti told reporters in the northwest city. The clash in the remote valley took place some days back, he said.

Although the police chief did not say who clashed with the rebel commander, Pakistani security forces left the area two days back, winding up a five-day operation against militants in Tirah.

A day after the forces left, 14 bullet-riddled bodies were found in the Spin Qambar area of Bara sub-district. Locals said the bodies had their faces burnt with acid, accusing security forces of executing the killings.

The victims had gone missing in the Alamgudar neighbourhood, where security forces launched an operation on March 12. But the political administration and security officials said in a press note they had nothing to do with the killings.

Codenamed Biya Daraghlam (Here I Come Again), the operation was conducted in Bara between March 12 and 18 to clear the area of Lashkar-i-Islam fighters involved in the bombing of a bus terminal on Kohat road, a suicide attack on SP Kalam Khan, Badabher (Peshawar) killings and abductions for ransom.

During the five-day operation, 25 miscreants were killed and four security personnel lost their lives and 12 others suffered injuries, the press note said.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Lashkar, Mohammad Hussain, denied the killing of Mangal Bagh, insisting he was well and alive.

ma/mud